Mostly Harmless . . ., 12 Sep 2005
. . . but is that what we really want from our H2G2?

The Zarniwoop/Bird sequences are maddeningly ill-executed and suffer from chasms in logic and continuity, which throws the rest of the series into shadow. The ending is a nice tying together of loose ends, and would seem to satisfy Adams' plans to continue the H2G2 metaplot, but is a bit too sentimental and perfect. Radio H2G2's strength is (or was) its lack of sentimentality and fluff, which have since permeated the last three series to saturation point. Furthermore, the new abilities attributed to the babel fish become unbelievable, even for H2G2.

"Mostly Harmless" was an interesting book; as a radio series it is too slow. Adams was a good writer; Dirk Maggs isn't Douglas Adams and never will be. That, it would seem, is his greatest failing, but he also fails to grasp the true essence of the H2G2 multiverse. Fans will be disappointed. However, if you plan to read the book, this may be a faster alternative.

Excellent Stuff, 04 Jul 2005
When I originally listened to the HHGTTG in the 80s, I listened to it countless times, each time picking up on a new thread of the story, discovering more jokes and catch lines. This, as with the 3rd and 4rd phases, is in the same vein. You need to listen to it several times to really appreciate it.
Brilliant stuff, and about time.

That's it. No more!, 29 Jun 2005
It's quite an undertaking to draw to a close a cult sage that spans four decades, but the BBC manages to pull it off in fine style.

Part of the attraction of listening to this is not just the assured performances of the 'original' cast, (Geoffery McGivern and Simon Jones are completely at home as Ford and Arthur) but recognising the other less central characters and the familiar voices behind them.

The last phase not only manages to neatly tie up all loose ends from all other series, but also be a less downbeat finale than the book was. To get the benefit of this, though, you have to listen to the Hollywood happy ending which is unexpected to those familiar with the book. It works, but takes a leap of faith to hope that it is as the author would want it.

Nice to hear Douglas Adams one more time, too.

Over all, a joy to behold.

Quintessential not essential, 23 Jun 2005
While the universe apparently has no boundaries, the same cannot be said of the shelf-life of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I wanted to like this as much as I've liked all the other Hitchhiker radio plays, books and TV series...all of which I proudly own and contentedly devour. But, there is a point from beyond which there is no return. In fact, listening to this, I finally realized why it is a good thing that the Beatles never reunited. Sometimes, you need to Let it Be.

The play starts out well. In fact, the beginning (including the description and story of the Grebulons) had me laughing out loud. Very, very funny stuff. Ford's return to the Hitchhiker building...very funny. But then, the play tried to do something it shouldn't have done...it tried to be clever and plot-driven...at the expense of being just plain funny and lighthearted.

It was a string of marvelous, lustrous pearls...without the string. The last time a plot was this thick and complex, Peter Jackson directed it into more than 10 delightful hours of The Lord of the Rings. With only two hours at their disposal, the writer/director threw in everything he possibly could to, evidently, employ as many actors as humanly possible in as short a space of time as possible.

Trillian, as Ford once said, is a girl "full of hidden shallows." To expand her into two characters and a major role is spreading the butter a bit thin on the bread. And it's not butter, it's margarine. Zarniwoop deadened the plot just as it was getting started, which seems to be his function. The Vogons who, according to the Guide, are "not actually evil" are now actually evil. Subtlety: gone. Nuance: gone. Different word for subtlety or nuance: gone. This is what happens when thoughts are replaced with afterthoughts.

I'm glad the cast had the chance to say goodbye. But a simple, etched fishbowl would have done the job. I've kept my receipt, in case reverse temporal engineering ever becomes a reality. My opinion in a nutshell: 41.

The BBC have done a terrific job........, 05 May 2005
.....with adapting the spoken word audiobooks into "new" HHGTHG episodes, and its wonderful to hear Mark Wing-Davey and the gang again.

Mostly Harmless . . ., 12 Sep 2005
. . . but is that what we really want from our H2G2?

The Zarniwoop/Bird sequences are maddeningly ill-executed and suffer from chasms in logic and continuity, which throws the rest of the series into shadow. The ending is a nice tying together of loose ends, and would seem to satisfy Adams' plans to continue the H2G2 metaplot, but is a bit too sentimental and perfect. Radio H2G2's strength is (or was) its lack of sentimentality and fluff, which have since permeated the last three series to saturation point. Furthermore, the new abilities attributed to the babel fish become unbelievable, even for H2G2.

"Mostly Harmless" was an interesting book; as a radio series it is too slow. Adams was a good writer; Dirk Maggs isn't Douglas Adams and never will be. That, it would seem, is his greatest failing, but he also fails to grasp the true essence of the H2G2 multiverse. Fans will be disappointed. However, if you plan to read the book, this may be a faster alternative.

Excellent Stuff, 04 Jul 2005
When I originally listened to the HHGTTG in the 80s, I listened to it countless times, each time picking up on a new thread of the story, discovering more jokes and catch lines. This, as with the 3rd and 4rd phases, is in the same vein. You need to listen to it several times to really appreciate it.
Brilliant stuff, and about time.

That's it. No more!, 29 Jun 2005
It's quite an undertaking to draw to a close a cult sage that spans four decades, but the BBC manages to pull it off in fine style.

Part of the attraction of listening to this is not just the assured performances of the 'original' cast, (Geoffery McGivern and Simon Jones are completely at home as Ford and Arthur) but recognising the other less central characters and the familiar voices behind them.

The last phase not only manages to neatly tie up all loose ends from all other series, but also be a less downbeat finale than the book was. To get the benefit of this, though, you have to listen to the Hollywood happy ending which is unexpected to those familiar with the book. It works, but takes a leap of faith to hope that it is as the author would want it.

Nice to hear Douglas Adams one more time, too.

Over all, a joy to behold.

Quintessential not essential, 23 Jun 2005
While the universe apparently has no boundaries, the same cannot be said of the shelf-life of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I wanted to like this as much as I've liked all the other Hitchhiker radio plays, books and TV series...all of which I proudly own and contentedly devour. But, there is a point from beyond which there is no return. In fact, listening to this, I finally realized why it is a good thing that the Beatles never reunited. Sometimes, you need to Let it Be.

The play starts out well. In fact, the beginning (including the description and story of the Grebulons) had me laughing out loud. Very, very funny stuff. Ford's return to the Hitchhiker building...very funny. But then, the play tried to do something it shouldn't have done...it tried to be clever and plot-driven...at the expense of being just plain funny and lighthearted.

It was a string of marvelous, lustrous pearls...without the string. The last time a plot was this thick and complex, Peter Jackson directed it into more than 10 delightful hours of The Lord of the Rings. With only two hours at their disposal, the writer/director threw in everything he possibly could to, evidently, employ as many actors as humanly possible in as short a space of time as possible.

Trillian, as Ford once said, is a girl "full of hidden shallows." To expand her into two characters and a major role is spreading the butter a bit thin on the bread. And it's not butter, it's margarine. Zarniwoop deadened the plot just as it was getting started, which seems to be his function. The Vogons who, according to the Guide, are "not actually evil" are now actually evil. Subtlety: gone. Nuance: gone. Different word for subtlety or nuance: gone. This is what happens when thoughts are replaced with afterthoughts.

I'm glad the cast had the chance to say goodbye. But a simple, etched fishbowl would have done the job. I've kept my receipt, in case reverse temporal engineering ever becomes a reality. My opinion in a nutshell: 41.

The BBC have done a terrific job........, 05 May 2005
.....with adapting the spoken word audiobooks into "new" HHGTHG episodes, and its wonderful to hear Mark Wing-Davey and the gang again.

The weirdest book ever!, 30 Dec 2007
I have never read any of Douglas Adams books before; I found this book strange and a bit unusual. But I still enjoyed the story based on an Earthling called Arthur Dent, who wakes up one morning to find the council preparing to demolish his home. This is also the day when the alien Vogons demolish the planet Earth to make way for a hyperspace express bypass.
I decided to watch the film which I thought was good, but the book is in much more detail than the film. So I would recommend you read the book before you watch the film.
If you are somebody that enjoys funny and unusual things then this is the book for you. I think this book would mainly be aimed towards young teenagers and older as it has some things in it, which might be a bit hard for a child to understand. When I read and watched the Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy I felt like I was there, watching the Earth being demolished by the alien Vogons.


Best Books that I Have Ever Read, 08 Mar 2007
These are, without a doubt, the best books that I have ever read. Not because of the story , but because of the storytelling.
Douglas Adams has the uncanny ability to take any subject and make it tense, funny, or anything else that you happen to mention.
For example, he takes a perfectly ordinary metting between two people at a train station, and makes into a tense situation that has you on the edge of your seat.
Now, onto the story. The basic premise is that there is a single person, and a lot of very extraordinary things happen to him. In some books, similar things happen, and you start thinking about how improbable it is, and the chances that any of the things would actually happen. That is not the case in these stories for the plain and simple reason that it rapidly becomes apparent that Arthur Dent really is God's plaything (despite the fact that God no longer exists), and that, to quote the book "when [he] is least expecting it, the Universe will suddenly leap out from behind a corner and yell BOO at [him]".
There is one other thing that bears mentioning before I let you get on with ordering the book, and that is Mr. Adams' tendancy to shoot off on real tangents (i.e. a small leap at first but quickly become uttery unconnected). These are, in my opinion, the best parts of the book, but you will have to read it yourself and decide.

Fantastic Book, 23 Oct 2006
After I saw the film, I got the book, and found it much more enjoyable, and I now find the film quite dull compared with the book. Be warned, there is no sanity whatsoever in the book, just a lot of funny stuff!

Reading it again and again I still find it to be most enjoyable, a wonderful work of fiction, thoroughly recommended

Amazingly Brilliant...., 27 Jul 2006
I thoroughly enjoyed these books. It had always been something that had "been there" throughout life and I ahd always thought about reading them, but frankly, couldnt be bothered (much like LotR, which I also read for the same reasons) but once the film's release was announced, I decided to read at least the first book before seeing it. That way, Id get the "right" (although, the Radio and TV series' were different in parts to the books anyway...) story.

I love how they are written and all the little bits that are just thrown in at not-so-random places (they have some relevance). I think its because that is how I tend to talk. I say something, then have to explain something else so you know what the first thing was, then I go back again. Adams does that in these books, so it was very easy for me to come to grips with.

I reccommend these to anyone who enjoys random, but well thought out silliness. They'll make you laugh and can be read over and over again.

And who knows, you might even understand more about Life, the Universe and Everything *shifts eyes and hides at the end of book 5*

Enjoy!!

Avoid Number 4, 19 May 2005
The fact that I tore through all five books would suggest it was a good read. I would definitely recommend the orginal trilogy.

I first read all five books when I was a young teenager (at least 10 years ago), and have fond, but hazy memories of them. After seeing the film, I decided to reread them. Although I still loved retreading the journey of Arthur, Ford Prefect, Marvin, Trillian and Zaphod, I became annoyed with Adams' style. He flits about for no apparent reason, throwing up repetitive stories about alien civilisitations (usually based round a familiar Earth household object). He also leaves stories in the air, with no explanation. What happended to Arthur with that girl he met on ancient Earth? What was the whole point of 'So Long...Thanks for All the Fish'? And so many other points, that you are left feeling frustrated.

Despite all this, Douglas Adams' ideas, and views of what the universe may be like, draws you in. The simple idea of the book itself has proved it has enormous mileage. True they could have been written a bit better, but I think most people forgive that. The first sequel (fourth) adds absolutely nothing to the story (rather like a Matrix sequel), but 'Most Harmless' is quite an entertaining diversion. You still come out a bit confused, but it's an ending, at least.

Mostly Harmless . . ., 12 Sep 2005
. . . but is that what we really want from our H2G2?

The Zarniwoop/Bird sequences are maddeningly ill-executed and suffer from chasms in logic and continuity, which throws the rest of the series into shadow. The ending is a nice tying together of loose ends, and would seem to satisfy Adams' plans to continue the H2G2 metaplot, but is a bit too sentimental and perfect. Radio H2G2's strength is (or was) its lack of sentimentality and fluff, which have since permeated the last three series to saturation point. Furthermore, the new abilities attributed to the babel fish become unbelievable, even for H2G2.

"Mostly Harmless" was an interesting book; as a radio series it is too slow. Adams was a good writer; Dirk Maggs isn't Douglas Adams and never will be. That, it would seem, is his greatest failing, but he also fails to grasp the true essence of the H2G2 multiverse. Fans will be disappointed. However, if you plan to read the book, this may be a faster alternative.

Excellent Stuff, 04 Jul 2005
When I originally listened to the HHGTTG in the 80s, I listened to it countless times, each time picking up on a new thread of the story, discovering more jokes and catch lines. This, as with the 3rd and 4rd phases, is in the same vein. You need to listen to it several times to really appreciate it.
Brilliant stuff, and about time.

That's it. No more!, 29 Jun 2005
It's quite an undertaking to draw to a close a cult sage that spans four decades, but the BBC manages to pull it off in fine style.

Part of the attraction of listening to this is not just the assured performances of the 'original' cast, (Geoffery McGivern and Simon Jones are completely at home as Ford and Arthur) but recognising the other less central characters and the familiar voices behind them.

The last phase not only manages to neatly tie up all loose ends from all other series, but also be a less downbeat finale than the book was. To get the benefit of this, though, you have to listen to the Hollywood happy ending which is unexpected to those familiar with the book. It works, but takes a leap of faith to hope that it is as the author would want it.

Nice to hear Douglas Adams one more time, too.

Over all, a joy to behold.

Quintessential not essential, 23 Jun 2005
While the universe apparently has no boundaries, the same cannot be said of the shelf-life of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I wanted to like this as much as I've liked all the other Hitchhiker radio plays, books and TV series...all of which I proudly own and contentedly devour. But, there is a point from beyond which there is no return. In fact, listening to this, I finally realized why it is a good thing that the Beatles never reunited. Sometimes, you need to Let it Be.

The play starts out well. In fact, the beginning (including the description and story of the Grebulons) had me laughing out loud. Very, very funny stuff. Ford's return to the Hitchhiker building...very funny. But then, the play tried to do something it shouldn't have done...it tried to be clever and plot-driven...at the expense of being just plain funny and lighthearted.

It was a string of marvelous, lustrous pearls...without the string. The last time a plot was this thick and complex, Peter Jackson directed it into more than 10 delightful hours of The Lord of the Rings. With only two hours at their disposal, the writer/director threw in everything he possibly could to, evidently, employ as many actors as humanly possible in as short a space of time as possible.

Trillian, as Ford once said, is a girl "full of hidden shallows." To expand her into two characters and a major role is spreading the butter a bit thin on the bread. And it's not butter, it's margarine. Zarniwoop deadened the plot just as it was getting started, which seems to be his function. The Vogons who, according to the Guide, are "not actually evil" are now actually evil. Subtlety: gone. Nuance: gone. Different word for subtlety or nuance: gone. This is what happens when thoughts are replaced with afterthoughts.

I'm glad the cast had the chance to say goodbye. But a simple, etched fishbowl would have done the job. I've kept my receipt, in case reverse temporal engineering ever becomes a reality. My opinion in a nutshell: 41.

The BBC have done a terrific job........, 05 May 2005
.....with adapting the spoken word audiobooks into "new" HHGTHG episodes, and its wonderful to hear Mark Wing-Davey and the gang again.

The weirdest book ever!, 30 Dec 2007
I have never read any of Douglas Adams books before; I found this book strange and a bit unusual. But I still enjoyed the story based on an Earthling called Arthur Dent, who wakes up one morning to find the council preparing to demolish his home. This is also the day when the alien Vogons demolish the planet Earth to make way for a hyperspace express bypass.
I decided to watch the film which I thought was good, but the book is in much more detail than the film. So I would recommend you read the book before you watch the film.
If you are somebody that enjoys funny and unusual things then this is the book for you. I think this book would mainly be aimed towards young teenagers and older as it has some things in it, which might be a bit hard for a child to understand. When I read and watched the Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy I felt like I was there, watching the Earth being demolished by the alien Vogons.


Best Books that I Have Ever Read, 08 Mar 2007
These are, without a doubt, the best books that I have ever read. Not because of the story , but because of the storytelling.
Douglas Adams has the uncanny ability to take any subject and make it tense, funny, or anything else that you happen to mention.
For example, he takes a perfectly ordinary metting between two people at a train station, and makes into a tense situation that has you on the edge of your seat.
Now, onto the story. The basic premise is that there is a single person, and a lot of very extraordinary things happen to him. In some books, similar things happen, and you start thinking about how improbable it is, and the chances that any of the things would actually happen. That is not the case in these stories for the plain and simple reason that it rapidly becomes apparent that Arthur Dent really is God's plaything (despite the fact that God no longer exists), and that, to quote the book "when [he] is least expecting it, the Universe will suddenly leap out from behind a corner and yell BOO at [him]".
There is one other thing that bears mentioning before I let you get on with ordering the book, and that is Mr. Adams' tendancy to shoot off on real tangents (i.e. a small leap at first but quickly become uttery unconnected). These are, in my opinion, the best parts of the book, but you will have to read it yourself and decide.

Fantastic Book, 23 Oct 2006
After I saw the film, I got the book, and found it much more enjoyable, and I now find the film quite dull compared with the book. Be warned, there is no sanity whatsoever in the book, just a lot of funny stuff!

Reading it again and again I still find it to be most enjoyable, a wonderful work of fiction, thoroughly recommended

Amazingly Brilliant...., 27 Jul 2006
I thoroughly enjoyed these books. It had always been something that had "been there" throughout life and I ahd always thought about reading them, but frankly, couldnt be bothered (much like LotR, which I also read for the same reasons) but once the film's release was announced, I decided to read at least the first book before seeing it. That way, Id get the "right" (although, the Radio and TV series' were different in parts to the books anyway...) story.

I love how they are written and all the little bits that are just thrown in at not-so-random places (they have some relevance). I think its because that is how I tend to talk. I say something, then have to explain something else so you know what the first thing was, then I go back again. Adams does that in these books, so it was very easy for me to come to grips with.

I reccommend these to anyone who enjoys random, but well thought out silliness. They'll make you laugh and can be read over and over again.

And who knows, you might even understand more about Life, the Universe and Everything *shifts eyes and hides at the end of book 5*

Enjoy!!

Avoid Number 4, 19 May 2005
The fact that I tore through all five books would suggest it was a good read. I would definitely recommend the orginal trilogy.

I first read all five books when I was a young teenager (at least 10 years ago), and have fond, but hazy memories of them. After seeing the film, I decided to reread them. Although I still loved retreading the journey of Arthur, Ford Prefect, Marvin, Trillian and Zaphod, I became annoyed with Adams' style. He flits about for no apparent reason, throwing up repetitive stories about alien civilisitations (usually based round a familiar Earth household object). He also leaves stories in the air, with no explanation. What happended to Arthur with that girl he met on ancient Earth? What was the whole point of 'So Long...Thanks for All the Fish'? And so many other points, that you are left feeling frustrated.

Despite all this, Douglas Adams' ideas, and views of what the universe may be like, draws you in. The simple idea of the book itself has proved it has enormous mileage. True they could have been written a bit better, but I think most people forgive that. The first sequel (fourth) adds absolutely nothing to the story (rather like a Matrix sequel), but 'Most Harmless' is quite an entertaining diversion. You still come out a bit confused, but it's an ending, at least.

filled with meaning, 30 Jun 2007
Listening to the audio CD's has an extra dimension to the book. You do get time to catch your breath. And my CD player is in the car. Somehow I survived. I would say that one great advantage to CD's is the ability to hear how the names are pronounced and you get inflections that intended or not help understand where they are going before they get there. An other advantage is that CD's like acid free paper should outlast the reader.

How many times have you asked a simple question and go the answer as "42." Yep, you are a victim to this book. Many of the clichés and truisms that rival Shakespeare are creeping into our vocabulary. And attitudes - "It has been on file."

If you are the one person that somehow got through life with out reading this series or at least seeing this on TV, then you are in for a treat. Somehow this story is earmarked as sci-fi and I guess it can be in a sense and it has all the elements necessary; it delivers a powerful message to the local Zoning Board.

I will not go though the story, as that is why you are reading the book. You need to sit down for the next sentence.

This book has changed my life.


Monty Python in space, brilliant!, 20 Jul 2001
Douglas Adams's Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy is truly entertaining from the first line. Although at first sight Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy appears just another spoof of the traditional sci-fi genre, in fact it manages to bring it's own original ideas while still affectionately poking fun at the concept in ways which are in turn both subtle and obvious.

Without a doubt most the comedic value of this story comes directly from the characters which inhabit it, not least the hapless Authur Dent who will have you laughing out loud as he struggles to come to terms with the hilarious revelations continually confront him throughout his turbulent journey.

The story is given an added dimension by Adams's fitting character voices.

Buy it. Buy it now

Great listening, makes the miles fly, 11 Apr 2001
I'm a fan of Hitch Hiker's, and have read all the books over and over. So whats the point of having it on Audio? Well its great to hear the author read it, adding his own speech emphasis, after all he wrote it! Also if you do a lot of driving having this cassette in makes the miles fly by. One star deducted - its not on CD !!! All in all a great Listen! - buy it now !

Mostly Harmless . . ., 12 Sep 2005
. . . but is that what we really want from our H2G2?

The Zarniwoop/Bird sequences are maddeningly ill-executed and suffer from chasms in logic and continuity, which throws the rest of the series into shadow. The ending is a nice tying together of loose ends, and would seem to satisfy Adams' plans to continue the H2G2 metaplot, but is a bit too sentimental and perfect. Radio H2G2's strength is (or was) its lack of sentimentality and fluff, which have since permeated the last three series to saturation point. Furthermore, the new abilities attributed to the babel fish become unbelievable, even for H2G2.

"Mostly Harmless" was an interesting book; as a radio series it is too slow. Adams was a good writer; Dirk Maggs isn't Douglas Adams and never will be. That, it would seem, is his greatest failing, but he also fails to grasp the true essence of the H2G2 multiverse. Fans will be disappointed. However, if you plan to read the book, this may be a faster alternative.

Excellent Stuff, 04 Jul 2005
When I originally listened to the HHGTTG in the 80s, I listened to it countless times, each time picking up on a new thread of the story, discovering more jokes and catch lines. This, as with the 3rd and 4rd phases, is in the same vein. You need to listen to it several times to really appreciate it.
Brilliant stuff, and about time.

That's it. No more!, 29 Jun 2005
It's quite an undertaking to draw to a close a cult sage that spans four decades, but the BBC manages to pull it off in fine style.

Part of the attraction of listening to this is not just the assured performances of the 'original' cast, (Geoffery McGivern and Simon Jones are completely at home as Ford and Arthur) but recognising the other less central characters and the familiar voices behind them.

The last phase not only manages to neatly tie up all loose ends from all other series, but also be a less downbeat finale than the book was. To get the benefit of this, though, you have to listen to the Hollywood happy ending which is unexpected to those familiar with the book. It works, but takes a leap of faith to hope that it is as the author would want it.

Nice to hear Douglas Adams one more time, too.

Over all, a joy to behold.

Quintessential not essential, 23 Jun 2005
While the universe apparently has no boundaries, the same cannot be said of the shelf-life of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I wanted to like this as much as I've liked all the other Hitchhiker radio plays, books and TV series...all of which I proudly own and contentedly devour. But, there is a point from beyond which there is no return. In fact, listening to this, I finally realized why it is a good thing that the Beatles never reunited. Sometimes, you need to Let it Be.

The play starts out well. In fact, the beginning (including the description and story of the Grebulons) had me laughing out loud. Very, very funny stuff. Ford's return to the Hitchhiker building...very funny. But then, the play tried to do something it shouldn't have done...it tried to be clever and plot-driven...at the expense of being just plain funny and lighthearted.

It was a string of marvelous, lustrous pearls...without the string. The last time a plot was this thick and complex, Peter Jackson directed it into more than 10 delightful hours of The Lord of the Rings. With only two hours at their disposal, the writer/director threw in everything he possibly could to, evidently, employ as many actors as humanly possible in as short a space of time as possible.

Trillian, as Ford once said, is a girl "full of hidden shallows." To expand her into two characters and a major role is spreading the butter a bit thin on the bread. And it's not butter, it's margarine. Zarniwoop deadened the plot just as it was getting started, which seems to be his function. The Vogons who, according to the Guide, are "not actually evil" are now actually evil. Subtlety: gone. Nuance: gone. Different word for subtlety or nuance: gone. This is what happens when thoughts are replaced with afterthoughts.

I'm glad the cast had the chance to say goodbye. But a simple, etched fishbowl would have done the job. I've kept my receipt, in case reverse temporal engineering ever becomes a reality. My opinion in a nutshell: 41.

The BBC have done a terrific job........, 05 May 2005
.....with adapting the spoken word audiobooks into "new" HHGTHG episodes, and its wonderful to hear Mark Wing-Davey and the gang again.

The weirdest book ever!, 30 Dec 2007
I have never read any of Douglas Adams books before; I found this book strange and a bit unusual. But I still enjoyed the story based on an Earthling called Arthur Dent, who wakes up one morning to find the council preparing to demolish his home. This is also the day when the alien Vogons demolish the planet Earth to make way for a hyperspace express bypass.
I decided to watch the film which I thought was good, but the book is in much more detail than the film. So I would recommend you read the book before you watch the film.
If you are somebody that enjoys funny and unusual things then this is the book for you. I think this book would mainly be aimed towards young teenagers and older as it has some things in it, which might be a bit hard for a child to understand. When I read and watched the Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy I felt like I was there, watching the Earth being demolished by the alien Vogons.


Best Books that I Have Ever Read, 08 Mar 2007
These are, without a doubt, the best books that I have ever read. Not because of the story , but because of the storytelling.
Douglas Adams has the uncanny ability to take any subject and make it tense, funny, or anything else that you happen to mention.
For example, he takes a perfectly ordinary metting between two people at a train station, and makes into a tense situation that has you on the edge of your seat.
Now, onto the story. The basic premise is that there is a single person, and a lot of very extraordinary things happen to him. In some books, similar things happen, and you start thinking about how improbable it is, and the chances that any of the things would actually happen. That is not the case in these stories for the plain and simple reason that it rapidly becomes apparent that Arthur Dent really is God's plaything (despite the fact that God no longer exists), and that, to quote the book "when [he] is least expecting it, the Universe will suddenly leap out from behind a corner and yell BOO at [him]".
There is one other thing that bears mentioning before I let you get on with ordering the book, and that is Mr. Adams' tendancy to shoot off on real tangents (i.e. a small leap at first but quickly become uttery unconnected). These are, in my opinion, the best parts of the book, but you will have to read it yourself and decide.

Fantastic Book, 23 Oct 2006
After I saw the film, I got the book, and found it much more enjoyable, and I now find the film quite dull compared with the book. Be warned, there is no sanity whatsoever in the book, just a lot of funny stuff!

Reading it again and again I still find it to be most enjoyable, a wonderful work of fiction, thoroughly recommended

Amazingly Brilliant...., 27 Jul 2006
I thoroughly enjoyed these books. It had always been something that had "been there" throughout life and I ahd always thought about reading them, but frankly, couldnt be bothered (much like LotR, which I also read for the same reasons) but once the film's release was announced, I decided to read at least the first book before seeing it. That way, Id get the "right" (although, the Radio and TV series' were different in parts to the books anyway...) story.

I love how they are written and all the little bits that are just thrown in at not-so-random places (they have some relevance). I think its because that is how I tend to talk. I say something, then have to explain something else so you know what the first thing was, then I go back again. Adams does that in these books, so it was very easy for me to come to grips with.

I reccommend these to anyone who enjoys random, but well thought out silliness. They'll make you laugh and can be read over and over again.

And who knows, you might even understand more about Life, the Universe and Everything *shifts eyes and hides at the end of book 5*

Enjoy!!

Avoid Number 4, 19 May 2005
The fact that I tore through all five books would suggest it was a good read. I would definitely recommend the orginal trilogy.

I first read all five books when I was a young teenager (at least 10 years ago), and have fond, but hazy memories of them. After seeing the film, I decided to reread them. Although I still loved retreading the journey of Arthur, Ford Prefect, Marvin, Trillian and Zaphod, I became annoyed with Adams' style. He flits about for no apparent reason, throwing up repetitive stories about alien civilisitations (usually based round a familiar Earth household object). He also leaves stories in the air, with no explanation. What happended to Arthur with that girl he met on ancient Earth? What was the whole point of 'So Long...Thanks for All the Fish'? And so many other points, that you are left feeling frustrated.

Despite all this, Douglas Adams' ideas, and views of what the universe may be like, draws you in. The simple idea of the book itself has proved it has enormous mileage. True they could have been written a bit better, but I think most people forgive that. The first sequel (fourth) adds absolutely nothing to the story (rather like a Matrix sequel), but 'Most Harmless' is quite an entertaining diversion. You still come out a bit confused, but it's an ending, at least.

filled with meaning, 30 Jun 2007
Listening to the audio CD's has an extra dimension to the book. You do get time to catch your breath. And my CD player is in the car. Somehow I survived. I would say that one great advantage to CD's is the ability to hear how the names are pronounced and you get inflections that intended or not help understand where they are going before they get there. An other advantage is that CD's like acid free paper should outlast the reader.

How many times have you asked a simple question and go the answer as "42." Yep, you are a victim to this book. Many of the clichés and truisms that rival Shakespeare are creeping into our vocabulary. And attitudes - "It has been on file."

If you are the one person that somehow got through life with out reading this series or at least seeing this on TV, then you are in for a treat. Somehow this story is earmarked as sci-fi and I guess it can be in a sense and it has all the elements necessary; it delivers a powerful message to the local Zoning Board.

I will not go though the story, as that is why you are reading the book. You need to sit down for the next sentence.

This book has changed my life.


Monty Python in space, brilliant!, 20 Jul 2001
Douglas Adams's Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy is truly entertaining from the first line. Although at first sight Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy appears just another spoof of the traditional sci-fi genre, in fact it manages to bring it's own original ideas while still affectionately poking fun at the concept in ways which are in turn both subtle and obvious.

Without a doubt most the comedic value of this story comes directly from the characters which inhabit it, not least the hapless Authur Dent who will have you laughing out loud as he struggles to come to terms with the hilarious revelations continually confront him throughout his turbulent journey.

The story is given an added dimension by Adams's fitting character voices.

Buy it. Buy it now

Great listening, makes the miles fly, 11 Apr 2001
I'm a fan of Hitch Hiker's, and have read all the books over and over. So whats the point of having it on Audio? Well its great to hear the author read it, adding his own speech emphasis, after all he wrote it! Also if you do a lot of driving having this cassette in makes the miles fly by. One star deducted - its not on CD !!! All in all a great Listen! - buy it now !

This Is The Best, It Sets The Standard For The Rest!!, 30 Jun 2001
This is the third of all five Hitch Hiker Trilogy books. That comment in itself should tell you the humour to expect, these books (this one in particular in my mind) is the best sci-fi humour. Audio or text, these are the best. Douglas Adams' shear wit and decriptive abilities make this purely humourous look at space travel, the guy who puts a capital 'T' on time. This story continues Arthur Dent's adventures through space after the destrucion of the Earth to make a hyperspace-bypass (good or what?). He learns to fly, tries to understand time travel, and fails, try it, The Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy 3, the best sci-fi ever...

Mostly Harmless . . ., 12 Sep 2005
. . . but is that what we really want from our H2G2?

The Zarniwoop/Bird sequences are maddeningly ill-executed and suffer from chasms in logic and continuity, which throws the rest of the series into shadow. The ending is a nice tying together of loose ends, and would seem to satisfy Adams' plans to continue the H2G2 metaplot, but is a bit too sentimental and perfect. Radio H2G2's strength is (or was) its lack of sentimentality and fluff, which have since permeated the last three series to saturation point. Furthermore, the new abilities attributed to the babel fish become unbelievable, even for H2G2.

"Mostly Harmless" was an interesting book; as a radio series it is too slow. Adams was a good writer; Dirk Maggs isn't Douglas Adams and never will be. That, it would seem, is his greatest failing, but he also fails to grasp the true essence of the H2G2 multiverse. Fans will be disappointed. However, if you plan to read the book, this may be a faster alternative.

Excellent Stuff, 04 Jul 2005
When I originally listened to the HHGTTG in the 80s, I listened to it countless times, each time picking up on a new thread of the story, discovering more jokes and catch lines. This, as with the 3rd and 4rd phases, is in the same vein. You need to listen to it several times to really appreciate it.
Brilliant stuff, and about time.

That's it. No more!, 29 Jun 2005
It's quite an undertaking to draw to a close a cult sage that spans four decades, but the BBC manages to pull it off in fine style.

Part of the attraction of listening to this is not just the assured performances of the 'original' cast, (Geoffery McGivern and Simon Jones are completely at home as Ford and Arthur) but recognising the other less central characters and the familiar voices behind them.

The last phase not only manages to neatly tie up all loose ends from all other series, but also be a less downbeat finale than the book was. To get the benefit of this, though, you have to listen to the Hollywood happy ending which is unexpected to those familiar with the book. It works, but takes a leap of faith to hope that it is as the author would want it.

Nice to hear Douglas Adams one more time, too.

Over all, a joy to behold.

Quintessential not essential, 23 Jun 2005
While the universe apparently has no boundaries, the same cannot be said of the shelf-life of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I wanted to like this as much as I've liked all the other Hitchhiker radio plays, books and TV series...all of which I proudly own and contentedly devour. But, there is a point from beyond which there is no return. In fact, listening to this, I finally realized why it is a good thing that the Beatles never reunited. Sometimes, you need to Let it Be.

The play starts out well. In fact, the beginning (including the description and story of the Grebulons) had me laughing out loud. Very, very funny stuff. Ford's return to the Hitchhiker building...very funny. But then, the play tried to do something it shouldn't have done...it tried to be clever and plot-driven...at the expense of being just plain funny and lighthearted.

It was a string of marvelous, lustrous pearls...without the string. The last time a plot was this thick and complex, Peter Jackson directed it into more than 10 delightful hours of The Lord of the Rings. With only two hours at their disposal, the writer/director threw in everything he possibly could to, evidently, employ as many actors as humanly possible in as short a space of time as possible.

Trillian, as Ford once said, is a girl "full of hidden shallows." To expand her into two characters and a major role is spreading the butter a bit thin on the bread. And it's not butter, it's margarine. Zarniwoop deadened the plot just as it was getting started, which seems to be his function. The Vogons who, according to the Guide, are "not actually evil" are now actually evil. Subtlety: gone. Nuance: gone. Different word for subtlety or nuance: gone. This is what happens when thoughts are replaced with afterthoughts.

I'm glad the cast had the chance to say goodbye. But a simple, etched fishbowl would have done the job. I've kept my receipt, in case reverse temporal engineering ever becomes a reality. My opinion in a nutshell: 41.

The BBC have done a terrific job........, 05 May 2005
.....with adapting the spoken word audiobooks into "new" HHGTHG episodes, and its wonderful to hear Mark Wing-Davey and the gang again.

The weirdest book ever!, 30 Dec 2007
I have never read any of Douglas Adams books before; I found this book strange and a bit unusual. But I still enjoyed the story based on an Earthling called Arthur Dent, who wakes up one morning to find the council preparing to demolish his home. This is also the day when the alien Vogons demolish the planet Earth to make way for a hyperspace express bypass.
I decided to watch the film which I thought was good, but the book is in much more detail than the film. So I would recommend you read the book before you watch the film.
If you are somebody that enjoys funny and unusual things then this is the book for you. I think this book would mainly be aimed towards young teenagers and older as it has some things in it, which might be a bit hard for a child to understand. When I read and watched the Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy I felt like I was there, watching the Earth being demolished by the alien Vogons.


Best Books that I Have Ever Read, 08 Mar 2007
These are, without a doubt, the best books that I have ever read. Not because of the story , but because of the storytelling.
Douglas Adams has the uncanny ability to take any subject and make it tense, funny, or anything else that you happen to mention.
For example, he takes a perfectly ordinary metting between two people at a train station, and makes into a tense situation that has you on the edge of your seat.
Now, onto the story. The basic premise is that there is a single person, and a lot of very extraordinary things happen to him. In some books, similar things happen, and you start thinking about how improbable it is, and the chances that any of the things would actually happen. That is not the case in these stories for the plain and simple reason that it rapidly becomes apparent that Arthur Dent really is God's plaything (despite the fact that God no longer exists), and that, to quote the book "when [he] is least expecting it, the Universe will suddenly leap out from behind a corner and yell BOO at [him]".
There is one other thing that bears mentioning before I let you get on with ordering the book, and that is Mr. Adams' tendancy to shoot off on real tangents (i.e. a small leap at first but quickly become uttery unconnected). These are, in my opinion, the best parts of the book, but you will have to read it yourself and decide.

Fantastic Book, 23 Oct 2006
After I saw the film, I got the book, and found it much more enjoyable, and I now find the film quite dull compared with the book. Be warned, there is no sanity whatsoever in the book, just a lot of funny stuff!

Reading it again and again I still find it to be most enjoyable, a wonderful work of fiction, thoroughly recommended

Amazingly Brilliant...., 27 Jul 2006
I thoroughly enjoyed these books. It had always been something that had "been there" throughout life and I ahd always thought about reading them, but frankly, couldnt be bothered (much like LotR, which I also read for the same reasons) but once the film's release was announced, I decided to read at least the first book before seeing it. That way, Id get the "right" (although, the Radio and TV series' were different in parts to the books anyway...) story.

I love how they are written and all the little bits that are just thrown in at not-so-random places (they have some relevance). I think its because that is how I tend to talk. I say something, then have to explain something else so you know what the first thing was, then I go back again. Adams does that in these books, so it was very easy for me to come to grips with.

I reccommend these to anyone who enjoys random, but well thought out silliness. They'll make you laugh and can be read over and over again.

And who knows, you might even understand more about Life, the Universe and Everything *shifts eyes and hides at the end of book 5*

Enjoy!!

Avoid Number 4, 19 May 2005
The fact that I tore through all five books would suggest it was a good read. I would definitely recommend the orginal trilogy.

I first read all five books when I was a young teenager (at least 10 years ago), and have fond, but hazy memories of them. After seeing the film, I decided to reread them. Although I still loved retreading the journey of Arthur, Ford Prefect, Marvin, Trillian and Zaphod, I became annoyed with Adams' style. He flits about for no apparent reason, throwing up repetitive stories about alien civilisitations (usually based round a familiar Earth household object). He also leaves stories in the air, with no explanation. What happended to Arthur with that girl he met on ancient Earth? What was the whole point of 'So Long...Thanks for All the Fish'? And so many other points, that you are left feeling frustrated.

Despite all this, Douglas Adams' ideas, and views of what the universe may be like, draws you in. The simple idea of the book itself has proved it has enormous mileage. True they could have been written a bit better, but I think most people forgive that. The first sequel (fourth) adds absolutely nothing to the story (rather like a Matrix sequel), but 'Most Harmless' is quite an entertaining diversion. You still come out a bit confused, but it's an ending, at least.

filled with meaning, 30 Jun 2007
Listening to the audio CD's has an extra dimension to the book. You do get time to catch your breath. And my CD player is in the car. Somehow I survived. I would say that one great advantage to CD's is the ability to hear how the names are pronounced and you get inflections that intended or not help understand where they are going before they get there. An other advantage is that CD's like acid free paper should outlast the reader.

How many times have you asked a simple question and go the answer as "42." Yep, you are a victim to this book. Many of the clichés and truisms that rival Shakespeare are creeping into our vocabulary. And attitudes - "It has been on file."

If you are the one person that somehow got through life with out reading this series or at least seeing this on TV, then you are in for a treat. Somehow this story is earmarked as sci-fi and I guess it can be in a sense and it has all the elements necessary; it delivers a powerful message to the local Zoning Board.

I will not go though the story, as that is why you are reading the book. You need to sit down for the next sentence.

This book has changed my life.


Monty Python in space, brilliant!, 20 Jul 2001
Douglas Adams's Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy is truly entertaining from the first line. Although at first sight Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy appears just another spoof of the traditional sci-fi genre, in fact it manages to bring it's own original ideas while still affectionately poking fun at the concept in ways which are in turn both subtle and obvious.

Without a doubt most the comedic value of this story comes directly from the characters which inhabit it, not least the hapless Authur Dent who will have you laughing out loud as he struggles to come to terms with the hilarious revelations continually confront him throughout his turbulent journey.

The story is given an added dimension by Adams's fitting character voices.

Buy it. Buy it now

Great listening, makes the miles fly, 11 Apr 2001
I'm a fan of Hitch Hiker's, and have read all the books over and over. So whats the point of having it on Audio? Well its great to hear the author read it, adding his own speech emphasis, after all he wrote it! Also if you do a lot of driving having this cassette in makes the miles fly by. One star deducted - its not on CD !!! All in all a great Listen! - buy it now !

This Is The Best, It Sets The Standard For The Rest!!, 30 Jun 2001
This is the third of all five Hitch Hiker Trilogy books. That comment in itself should tell you the humour to expect, these books (this one in particular in my mind) is the best sci-fi humour. Audio or text, these are the best. Douglas Adams' shear wit and decriptive abilities make this purely humourous look at space travel, the guy who puts a capital 'T' on time. This story continues Arthur Dent's adventures through space after the destrucion of the Earth to make a hyperspace-bypass (good or what?). He learns to fly, tries to understand time travel, and fails, try it, The Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy 3, the best sci-fi ever...

Recommended for Carbon Based Life Forms Everywhere., 30 Jul 2008
The third and my favourite Hitch Hikers novel reunites Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Marvin the Paranoid Android, Trillian and Zaphod Beeblebrox with Slartibartfast and finally explains why the galaxy allowed the Earth to be destroyed. It turned out that although allot of people had a vested interest in the destruction of the Earth it was our glorification of the Krikket wars by creating a game as insensitive as Cricket that no-one could stomach.

This would be fine except eddies in the space time continuum have allowed the Krikket robot warriors to free the Krikket Masters and allow them to wage war on the remainder of the Universe.

Can this collection of misfits struggling with lifestyle and personality issues save Life, the Universe and Everything? The evidence of two further books in the worlds most inappropriately named trilogy would suggest so but as with hyperdrives it's about the journey and not the destination. Recommended for carbon based life forms everywhere.


Pointless, 11 Jun 2007
The third instalment of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series but this one disappointed me. I thought it would be as good as the other books but I didn't enjoy it at all. It dragged on too much and I got so bored with reading it, it took me ages to read it. I do not see the point of the Krikkit wars or anything to do with in that book.
Read it as part of the series but don't expect too much

Flying : How to Throw Yourself at the Ground and Miss, 21 Oct 2006
Written by Douglas Adams, "Life, the Universe and Everything" was first published in 1982 and is the third instalment of his legendary five-part "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" trilogy. It opens around five years after "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" finished, but follows up on what has happened in the previous books - as a result, it's the wrong place to start !! The series started life as a radio show, before becoming a book, a television series, a play and a bath towel. Douglas Adams was born in Cambridge in 1952 and died in May 2001.

Recent years haven't been kind to Arthur Dent. Having seen his home flattened by bulldozers, he barely escaped with his life when the Earth was demolished by the Vogons - officially to make way for a hyperspace bypass. Arthur was rescued by Ford Prefect, a roving reporter for "The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy". The pair were later picked up by an old school-friend of Fords, Zaphod Beeblebrox - the two-headed, three-armed, renegade ex-President of the Galaxy and owner of the most powerful and unpredictable ship in the universe. Having met Slartibartfast, the man who designed Norway, and eaten at the restaurant at the end of the universe, an unprogrammed teleport sees Arthur and Ford landing on...a prehistoric Earth.

As the book opens, Arthur has been living alone in a cold, damp, smelly cave for five years. Living alone in what would become Islington roughly two million years later, he hasn't had any company since the surviving Golgafrinchans went on holiday about three years previously. Ford, having spent the last three years in prehistoric Africa, is now responsible for the giraffe and returns just in time to save Arthur from madness. He has detected eddies in the space - time continuum, which he suspects may provide the pair with an escape route. His suspicions are proved correct : the pair catch an over-active Chesterfield sofa which carries them forward through time and deposits them at Lords Cricket Ground - just two days before the Vogons are due to demolish Earth. The arrive just in time to see England defeat Australia in a very important cricket match, a spaceship containing robotic 'cricketers' arriving to kill people and steal the Ashes (the 'trophy' being played for) and Slartibartfast trying to stop them. Slartibartfast kindly agrees to give the duo a lift, meaning they won't have to hitch a ride with the Vogons again. However, he seems to expect them to help him save the universe - a task that involves them discovering that cricket is actually derived from Krikket and that robotic cricketers are generally best avoided. Ford, on the other hand, aims to be exceedingly drunk and would rather visit Eccentrica Gallumbits - a very capable lady of negotiable affections.

This is an extremely silly and very easily read book - though it probably does assume a certain awareness of cricket. Hugely enjoyable and definitely recommended - though only after having read the previous two instalments !

Strained but enjoyable sequel, 31 May 2005
With the publication of The Restaurant at the End of the Universe Douglas Adams had completed his novelisations of the two Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy radio series, and the story had effectively reached it's natural conclusion, with the wrapping up of all the major plot-threads concerning the quest for the Ultimate Question, the destruction of planet Earth, and Zaphod's theft of the Heart of Gold. The series popularity though resulted in Adams bringing out a third Hitchhiker's book, with the main storyline being recycled from an unused Doctor Who storyline he had written called Doctor Who And The Krikkitmen.

As such this novel feels a little strained at times in bringing all the original Hitchhiker's cast back for a third outing, with Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect's idyllic prehistoric life at the end of The Restaurant at the End of the Universe transformed into a nightmare they can be rescued from, and Marvin having his death in the previous book undone. By far the biggest change though is Slartifartbast, who has changed from an eccentric planet designer into the main plot-driver of the book, essentially taking over the Doctor's role as would be saviour of the universe and guardian of the timelines, with his new background in the Campaign For Real Time replacing the role of Doctor Who's Time Lords.

However, the odd strained moments are more than offset but the typically brilliant concepts on display - including the Hitchhiker's art of flying by throwing oneself at the ground and missing, Slartifartbast's Bistromathematical spaceship, and the re-acquaintance of the sentient bowl of petunias from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy that results in Arthur Dent glimpsing his own future.

Not quite up to the standard of the first two books in the series, Life, the Universe and Everything is nevertheless clever enough and funny enough to be essential for fans of the earlier novels.

Sore thumbs, 13 Mar 2005
This is my third hitchhiking trip, and although my thumb is getting sore, I have no choice but to keep on truckin'.

Coming from the larger part of the world, where "krikkit" is a national obsession, I found this one particularly clever, even though the aficionados will shudder at the abuse of the hallowed ashes.

Always willing to throw a stinging barb here and there, I also loved the immortal Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged, who is on a quest to personally insult every individual being in the Universe - in alphabetical order.

Add in the flying lessons, the many-times-reincarnated Agrajag (not an Arthur Dent fan by any means), and of course my favorite robot Marvin, and you have an easy reading fun hike across the galaxy, with less of the sci-fi stuff, and more of the humor.

There's less Zaphod Beeblebrox than usual, but as he spends most of this story in a drunken stupor while Trillian flirts with the God of Thunder, we won't bother him at this particular time.

Sticking my sore thumb out now for the next adventure in hitchhiking - see you there!

Amanda Richards

Mostly Harmless . . ., 12 Sep 2005
. . . but is that what we really want from our H2G2?

The Zarniwoop/Bird sequences are maddeningly ill-executed and suffer from chasms in logic and continuity, which throws the rest of the series into shadow. The ending is a nice tying together of loose ends, and would seem to satisfy Adams' plans to continue the H2G2 metaplot, but is a bit too sentimental and perfect. Radio H2G2's strength is (or was) its lack of sentimentality and fluff, which have since permeated the last three series to saturation point. Furthermore, the new abilities attributed to the babel fish become unbelievable, even for H2G2.

"Mostly Harmless" was an interesting book; as a radio series it is too slow. Adams was a good writer; Dirk Maggs isn't Douglas Adams and never will be. That, it would seem, is his greatest failing, but he also fails to grasp the true essence of the H2G2 multiverse. Fans will be disappointed. However, if you plan to read the book, this may be a faster alternative.

Excellent Stuff, 04 Jul 2005
When I originally listened to the HHGTTG in the 80s, I listened to it countless times, each time picking up on a new thread of the story, discovering more jokes and catch lines. This, as with the 3rd and 4rd phases, is in the same vein. You need to listen to it several times to really appreciate it.
Brilliant stuff, and about time.

That's it. No more!, 29 Jun 2005
It's quite an undertaking to draw to a close a cult sage that spans four decades, but the BBC manages to pull it off in fine style.

Part of the attraction of listening to this is not just the assured performances of the 'original' cast, (Geoffery McGivern and Simon Jones are completely at home as Ford and Arthur) but recognising the other less central characters and the familiar voices behind them.

The last phase not only manages to neatly tie up all loose ends from all other series, but also be a less downbeat finale than the book was. To get the benefit of this, though, you have to listen to the Hollywood happy ending which is unexpected to those familiar with the book. It works, but takes a leap of faith to hope that it is as the author would want it.

Nice to hear Douglas Adams one more time, too.

Over all, a joy to behold.

Quintessential not essential, 23 Jun 2005
While the universe apparently has no boundaries, the same cannot be said of the shelf-life of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I wanted to like this as much as I've liked all the other Hitchhiker radio plays, books and TV series...all of which I proudly own and contentedly devour. But, there is a point from beyond which there is no return. In fact, listening to this, I finally realized why it is a good thing that the Beatles never reunited. Sometimes, you need to Let it Be.

The play starts out well. In fact, the beginning (including the description and story of the Grebulons) had me laughing out loud. Very, very funny stuff. Ford's return to the Hitchhiker building...very funny. But then, the play tried to do something it shouldn't have done...it tried to be clever and plot-driven...at the expense of being just plain funny and lighthearted.

It was a string of marvelous, lustrous pearls...without the string. The last time a plot was this thick and complex, Peter Jackson directed it into more than 10 delightful hours of The Lord of the Rings. With only two hours at their disposal, the writer/director threw in everything he possibly could to, evidently, employ as many actors as humanly possible in as short a space of time as possible.

Trillian, as Ford once said, is a girl "full of hidden shallows." To expand her into two characters and a major role is spreading the butter a bit thin on the bread. And it's not butter, it's margarine. Zarniwoop deadened the plot just as it was getting started, which seems to be his function. The Vogons who, according to the Guide, are "not actually evil" are now actually evil. Subtlety: gone. Nuance: gone. Different word for subtlety or nuance: gone. This is what happens when thoughts are replaced with afterthoughts.

I'm glad the cast had the chance to say goodbye. But a simple, etched fishbowl would have done the job. I've kept my receipt, in case reverse temporal engineering ever becomes a reality. My opinion in a nutshell: 41.

The BBC have done a terrific job........, 05 May 2005
.....with adapting the spoken word audiobooks into "new" HHGTHG episodes, and its wonderful to hear Mark Wing-Davey and the gang again.

The weirdest book ever!, 30 Dec 2007
I have never read any of Douglas Adams books before; I found this book strange and a bit unusual. But I still enjoyed the story based on an Earthling called Arthur Dent, who wakes up one morning to find the council preparing to demolish his home. This is also the day when the alien Vogons demolish the planet Earth to make way for a hyperspace express bypass.
I decided to watch the film which I thought was good, but the book is in much more detail than the film. So I would recommend you read the book before you watch the film.
If you are somebody that enjoys funny and unusual things then this is the book for you. I think this book would mainly be aimed towards young teenagers and older as it has some things in it, which might be a bit hard for a child to understand. When I read and watched the Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy I felt like I was there, watching the Earth being demolished by the alien Vogons.


Best Books that I Have Ever Read, 08 Mar 2007
These are, without a doubt, the best books that I have ever read. Not because of the story , but because of the storytelling.
Douglas Adams has the uncanny ability to take any subject and make it tense, funny, or anything else that you happen to mention.
For example, he takes a perfectly ordinary metting between two people at a train station, and makes into a tense situation that has you on the edge of your seat.
Now, onto the story. The basic premise is that there is a single person, and a lot of very extraordinary things happen to him. In some books, similar things happen, and you start thinking about how improbable it is, and the chances that any of the things would actually happen. That is not the case in these stories for the plain and simple reason that it rapidly becomes apparent that Arthur Dent really is God's plaything (despite the fact that God no longer exists), and that, to quote the book "when [he] is least expecting it, the Universe will suddenly leap out from behind a corner and yell BOO at [him]".
There is one other thing that bears mentioning before I let you get on with ordering the book, and that is Mr. Adams' tendancy to shoot off on real tangents (i.e. a small leap at first but quickly become uttery unconnected). These are, in my opinion, the best parts of the book, but you will have to read it yourself and decide.

Fantastic Book, 23 Oct 2006
After I saw the film, I got the book, and found it much more enjoyable, and I now find the film quite dull compared with the book. Be warned, there is no sanity whatsoever in the book, just a lot of funny stuff!

Reading it again and again I still find it to be most enjoyable, a wonderful work of fiction, thoroughly recommended

Amazingly Brilliant...., 27 Jul 2006
I thoroughly enjoyed these books. It had always been something that had "been there" throughout life and I ahd always thought about reading them, but frankly, couldnt be bothered (much like LotR, which I also read for the same reasons) but once the film's release was announced, I decided to read at least the first book before seeing it. That way, Id get the "right" (although, the Radio and TV series' were different in parts to the books anyway...) story.

I love how they are written and all the little bits that are just thrown in at not-so-random places (they have some relevance). I think its because that is how I tend to talk. I say something, then have to explain something else so you know what the first thing was, then I go back again. Adams does that in these books, so it was very easy for me to come to grips with.

I reccommend these to anyone who enjoys random, but well thought out silliness. They'll make you laugh and can be read over and over again.

And who knows, you might even understand more about Life, the Universe and Everything *shifts eyes and hides at the end of book 5*

Enjoy!!

Avoid Number 4, 19 May 2005
The fact that I tore through all five books would suggest it was a good read. I would definitely recommend the orginal trilogy.

I first read all five books when I was a young teenager (at least 10 years ago), and have fond, but hazy memories of them. After seeing the film, I decided to reread them. Although I still loved retreading the journey of Arthur, Ford Prefect, Marvin, Trillian and Zaphod, I became annoyed with Adams' style. He flits about for no apparent reason, throwing up repetitive stories about alien civilisitations (usually based round a familiar Earth household object). He also leaves stories in the air, with no explanation. What happended to Arthur with that girl he met on ancient Earth? What was the whole point of 'So Long...Thanks for All the Fish'? And so many other points, that you are left feeling frustrated.

Despite all this, Douglas Adams' ideas, and views of what the universe may be like, draws you in. The simple idea of the book itself has proved it has enormous mileage. True they could have been written a bit better, but I think most people forgive that. The first sequel (fourth) adds absolutely nothing to the story (rather like a Matrix sequel), but 'Most Harmless' is quite an entertaining diversion. You still come out a bit confused, but it's an ending, at least.

filled with meaning, 30 Jun 2007
Listening to the audio CD's has an extra dimension to the book. You do get time to catch your breath. And my CD player is in the car. Somehow I survived. I would say that one great advantage to CD's is the ability to hear how the names are pronounced and you get inflections that intended or not help understand where they are going before they get there. An other advantage is that CD's like acid free paper should outlast the reader.

How many times have you asked a simple question and go the answer as "42." Yep, you are a victim to this book. Many of the clichés and truisms that rival Shakespeare are creeping into our vocabulary. And attitudes - "It has been on file."

If you are the one person that somehow got through life with out reading this series or at least seeing this on TV, then you are in for a treat. Somehow this story is earmarked as sci-fi and I guess it can be in a sense and it has all the elements necessary; it delivers a powerful message to the local Zoning Board.

I will not go though the story, as that is why you are reading the book. You need to sit down for the next sentence.

This book has changed my life.


Monty Python in space, brilliant!, 20 Jul 2001
Douglas Adams's Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy is truly entertaining from the first line. Although at first sight Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy appears just another spoof of the traditional sci-fi genre, in fact it manages to bring it's own original ideas while still affectionately poking fun at the concept in ways which are in turn both subtle and obvious.

Without a doubt most the comedic value of this story comes directly from the characters which inhabit it, not least the hapless Authur Dent who will have you laughing out loud as he struggles to come to terms with the hilarious revelations continually confront him throughout his turbulent journey.

The story is given an added dimension by Adams's fitting character voices.

Buy it. Buy it now

Great listening, makes the miles fly, 11 Apr 2001
I'm a fan of Hitch Hiker's, and have read all the books over and over. So whats the point of having it on Audio? Well its great to hear the author read it, adding his own speech emphasis, after all he wrote it! Also if you do a lot of driving having this cassette in makes the miles fly by. One star deducted - its not on CD !!! All in all a great Listen! - buy it now !

This Is The Best, It Sets The Standard For The Rest!!, 30 Jun 2001
This is the third of all five Hitch Hiker Trilogy books. That comment in itself should tell you the humour to expect, these books (this one in particular in my mind) is the best sci-fi humour. Audio or text, these are the best. Douglas Adams' shear wit and decriptive abilities make this purely humourous look at space travel, the guy who puts a capital 'T' on time. This story continues Arthur Dent's adventures through space after the destrucion of the Earth to make a hyperspace-bypass (good or what?). He learns to fly, tries to understand time travel, and fails, try it, The Hitch Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy 3, the best sci-fi ever...

Recommended for Carbon Based Life Forms Everywhere., 30 Jul 2008
The third and my favourite Hitch Hikers novel reunites Arthur Dent, Ford Prefect, Marvin the Paranoid Android, Trillian and Zaphod Beeblebrox with Slartibartfast and finally explains why the galaxy allowed the Earth to be destroyed. It turned out that although allot of people had a vested interest in the destruction of the Earth it was our glorification of the Krikket wars by creating a game as insensitive as Cricket that no-one could stomach.

This would be fine except eddies in the space time continuum have allowed the Krikket robot warriors to free the Krikket Masters and allow them to wage war on the remainder of the Universe.

Can this collection of misfits struggling with lifestyle and personality issues save Life, the Universe and Everything? The evidence of two further books in the worlds most inappropriately named trilogy would suggest so but as with hyperdrives it's about the journey and not the destination. Recommended for carbon based life forms everywhere.


Pointless, 11 Jun 2007
The third instalment of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy series but this one disappointed me. I thought it would be as good as the other books but I didn't enjoy it at all. It dragged on too much and I got so bored with reading it, it took me ages to read it. I do not see the point of the Krikkit wars or anything to do with in that book.
Read it as part of the series but don't expect too much

Flying : How to Throw Yourself at the Ground and Miss, 21 Oct 2006
Written by Douglas Adams, "Life, the Universe and Everything" was first published in 1982 and is the third instalment of his legendary five-part "Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" trilogy. It opens around five years after "The Restaurant at the End of the Universe" finished, but follows up on what has happened in the previous books - as a result, it's the wrong place to start !! The series started life as a radio show, before becoming a book, a television series, a play and a bath towel. Douglas Adams was born in Cambridge in 1952 and died in May 2001.

Recent years haven't been kind to Arthur Dent. Having seen his home flattened by bulldozers, he barely escaped with his life when the Earth was demolished by the Vogons - officially to make way for a hyperspace bypass. Arthur was rescued by Ford Prefect, a roving reporter for "The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy". The pair were later picked up by an old school-friend of Fords, Zaphod Beeblebrox - the two-headed, three-armed, renegade ex-President of the Galaxy and owner of the most powerful and unpredictable ship in the universe. Having met Slartibartfast, the man who designed Norway, and eaten at the restaurant at the end of the universe, an unprogrammed teleport sees Arthur and Ford landing on...a prehistoric Earth.

As the book opens, Arthur has been living alone in a cold, damp, smelly cave for five years. Living alone in what would become Islington roughly two million years later, he hasn't had any company since the surviving Golgafrinchans went on holiday about three years previously. Ford, having spent the last three years in prehistoric Africa, is now responsible for the giraffe and returns just in time to save Arthur from madness. He has detected eddies in the space - time continuum, which he suspects may provide the pair with an escape route. His suspicions are proved correct : the pair catch an over-active Chesterfield sofa which carries them forward through time and deposits them at Lords Cricket Ground - just two days before the Vogons are due to demolish Earth. The arrive just in time to see England defeat Australia in a very important cricket match, a spaceship containing robotic 'cricketers' arriving to kill people and steal the Ashes (the 'trophy' being played for) and Slartibartfast trying to stop them. Slartibartfast kindly agrees to give the duo a lift, meaning they won't have to hitch a ride with the Vogons again. However, he seems to expect them to help him save the universe - a task that involves them discovering that cricket is actually derived from Krikket and that robotic cricketers are generally best avoided. Ford, on the other hand, aims to be exceedingly drunk and would rather visit Eccentrica Gallumbits - a very capable lady of negotiable affections.

This is an extremely silly and very easily read book - though it probably does assume a certain awareness of cricket. Hugely enjoyable and definitely recommended - though only after having read the previous two instalments !

Strained but enjoyable sequel, 31 May 2005
With the publication of The Restaurant at the End of the Universe Douglas Adams had completed his novelisations of the two Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy radio series, and the story had effectively reached it's natural conclusion, with the wrapping up of all the major plot-threads concerning the quest for the Ultimate Question, the destruction of planet Earth, and Zaphod's theft of the Heart of Gold. The series popularity though resulted in Adams bringing out a third Hitchhiker's book, with the main storyline being recycled from an unused Doctor Who storyline he had written called Doctor Who And The Krikkitmen.

As such this novel feels a little strained at times in bringing all the original Hitchhiker's cast back for a third outing, with Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect's idyllic prehistoric life at the end of The Restaurant at the End of the Universe transformed into a nightmare they can be rescued from, and Marvin having his death in the previous book undone. By far the biggest change though is Slartifartbast, who has changed from an eccentric planet designer into the main plot-driver of the book, essentially taking over the Doctor's role as would be saviour of the universe and guardian of the timelines, with his new background in the Campaign For Real Time replacing the role of Doctor Who's Time Lords.

However, the odd strained moments are more than offset but the typically brilliant concepts on display - including the Hitchhiker's art of flying by throwing oneself at the ground and missing, Slartifartbast's Bistromathematical spaceship, and the re-acquaintance of the sentient bowl of petunias from Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy that results in Arthur Dent glimpsing his own future.

Not quite up to the standard of the first two books in the series, Life, the Universe and Everything is nevertheless clever enough and funny enough to be essential for fans of the earlier novels.

Sore thumbs, 13 Mar 2005
This is my third hitchhiking trip, and although my thumb is getting sore, I have no choice but to keep on truckin'.

Coming from the larger part of the world, where "krikkit" is a national obsession, I found this one particularly clever, even though the aficionados will shudder at the abuse of the hallowed ashes.

Always willing to throw a stinging barb here and there, I also loved the immortal Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged, who is on a quest to personally insult every individual being in the Universe - in alphabetical order.

Add in the flying lessons, the many-times-reincarnated Agrajag (not an Arthur Dent fan by any means), and of course my favorite robot Marvin, and you have an easy reading fun hike across the galaxy, with less of the sci-fi stuff, and more of the humor.

There's less Zaphod Beeblebrox than usual, but as he spends most of this story in a drunken stupor while Trillian flirts with the God of Thunder, we won't bother him at this particular time.

Sticking my sore thumb out now for the next adventure in hitchhiking - see you there!

Amanda Richards

The best five part trilogy I have read!?, 09 Jul 2001
I grew up with stories of the ultra "hip" Zaphod Beeblebrox. Marvin, the manic depressive android etc... At this point "the book" would like to issue this warning "Parents of small organic lifeforms are warned that towels can be dangerous if swallowed in large quantities." Confused? You wont be if you take this journey with Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect to "The restaurant at the end of the universe". Explore the intergalactic libraries to see if you can stomach Vogon poetry, and find out if a towel really can save you from "The Ravenous Bug Bladder Beast of Traal."

This has to be the funniest and most inventive story of all time. As well as paying homage to some of our Sci-fi greats such as Arthur C Clark and Isaac Asimov.

Great as books, tv series and I highly recomend the radio programme. 10/10

Mostly Harmless . . ., 12 Sep 2005
. . . but is that what we really want from our H2G2?

The Zarniwoop/Bird sequences are maddeningly ill-executed and suffer from chasms in logic and continuity, which throws the rest of the series into shadow. The ending is a nice tying together of loose ends, and would seem to satisfy Adams' plans to continue the H2G2 metaplot, but is a bit too sentimental and perfect. Radio H2G2's strength is (or was) its lack of sentimentality and fluff, which have since permeated the last three series to saturation point. Furthermore, the new abilities attributed to the babel fish become unbelievable, even for H2G2.

"Mostly Harmless" was an interesting book; as a radio series it is too slow. Adams was a good writer; Dirk Maggs isn't Douglas Adams and never will be. That, it would seem, is his greatest failing, but he also fails to grasp the true essence of the H2G2 multiverse. Fans will be disappointed. However, if you plan to read the book, this may be a faster alternative.

Excellent Stuff, 04 Jul 2005
When I originally listened to the HHGTTG in the 80s, I listened to it countless times, each time picking up on a new thread of the story, discovering more jokes and catch lines. This, as with the 3rd and 4rd phases, is in the same vein. You need to listen to it several times to really appreciate it.
Brilliant stuff, and about time.

That's it. No more!, 29 Jun 2005
It's quite an undertaking to draw to a close a cult sage that spans four decades, but the BBC manages to pull it off in fine style.

Part of the attraction of listening to this is not just the assured performances of the 'original' cast, (Geoffery McGivern and Simon Jones are completely at home as Ford and Arthur) but recognising the other less central characters and the familiar voices behind them.

The last phase not only manages to neatly tie up all loose ends from all other series, but also be a less downbeat finale than the book was. To get the benefit of this, though, you have to listen to the Hollywood happy ending which is unexpected to those familiar with the book. It works, but takes a leap of faith to hope that it is as the author would want it.

Nice to hear Douglas Adams one more time, too.

Over all, a joy to behold.

Quintessential not essential, 23 Jun 2005
While the universe apparently has no boundaries, the same cannot be said of the shelf-life of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I wanted to like this as much as I've liked all the other Hitchhiker radio plays, books and TV series...all of which I proudly own and contentedly devour. But, there is a point from beyond which there is no return. In fact, listening to this, I finally realized why it is a good thing that the Beatles never reunited. Sometimes, you need to Let it Be.

The play starts out well. In fact, the beginning (including the description and story of the Grebulons) had me laughing out loud. Very, very funny stuff. Ford's return to the Hitchhiker building...very funny. But then, the play tried to do something it shouldn't have done...it tried to be clever and plot-driven...at the expense of being just plain funny and lighthearted.

It was a string of marvelous, lustrous pearls...without the string. The last time a plot was this thick and complex, Peter Jackson directed it into more than 10 delightful hours of The Lord of the Rings. With only two hours at their disposal, the writer/director threw in everything he possibly could to, evidently, employ as many actors as humanly possible in as short a space of time as possible.

Trillian, as Ford once said, is a girl "full of hidden shallows." To expand her into two characters and a major role is spreading the butter a bit thin on the bread. And it's not butter, it's margarine. Zarniwoop deadened the plot just as it was getting started, which seems to be his function. The Vogons who, according to the Guide, are "not actually evil" are now actually evil. Subtlety: gone. Nuance: gone. Different word for subtlety or nuance: gone. This is what happens when thoughts are replaced with afterthoughts.

I'm glad the cast had the chance to say goodbye. But a simple, etched fishbowl would have done the job. I've kept my receipt, in case reverse temporal engineering ever becomes a reality. My opinion in a nutshell: 41.

The BBC have done a terrific job........, 05 May 2005
.....with adapting the spoken word audiobooks into "new" HHGTHG episodes, and its wonderful to hear Mark Wing-Davey and the gang again.

The weirdest book ever!, 30 Dec 2007
I have never read any of Douglas Adams books before; I found this book strange and a bit unusual. But I still enjoyed the story based on an Earthling called Arthur Dent, who wakes up one morning to find the council preparing to demolish his home. This is also the day when the alien Vogons demolish the planet Earth to make way for a hyperspace express bypass.
I decided to watch the film which I thought was good, but the book is in much more detail than the film. So I would recommend you read the book before you watch the film.
If you are somebody that enjoys funny and unusual things then this is the book for you. I think this book would mainly be aimed towards young teenagers and older as it has some things in it, which might be a bit hard for a child to understand. When I read and watched the Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy I felt like I was there, watching the Earth being demolished by the alien Vogons.


Best Books that I Have Ever Read, 08 Mar 2007
These are, without a doubt, the best books that I have ever read. Not because of the story , but because of the storytelling.
Douglas Adams has the uncanny ability to take any subject and make it tense, funny, or anything else that you happen to mention.
For example, he takes a perfectly ordinary metting between two people at a train station, and makes into a tense situation that has you on the edge of your seat.
Now, onto the story. The basic premise is that there is a single person, and a lot of very extraordinary things happen to him. In some books, similar things happen, and you start thinking about how improbable it is, and the chances that any of the things would actually happen. That is not the case in these stories for the plain and simple reason that it rapidly becomes apparent that Arthur Dent really is God's plaything (despite the fact that God no longer exists), and that, to quote the book "when [he] is least expecting it, the Universe will suddenly leap out from behind a corner and yell BOO at [him]".
There is one other thing that bears mentioning before I let you get on with ordering the book, and that is Mr. Adams' tendancy to shoot off on real tangents (i.e. a small leap at first but quickly become uttery unconnected). These are, in my opinion, the best parts of the book, but you will have to read it yourself and decide.

Fantastic Book, 23 Oct 2006
After I saw the film, I got the book, and found it much more enjoyable, and I now find the film quite dull compared with the book. Be warned, there is no sanity whatsoever in the book, just a lot of funny stuff!

Reading it again and again I still find it to be most enjoyable, a wonderful work of fiction, thoroughly recommended

Amazingly Brilliant...., 27 Jul 2006
I thoroughly enjoyed these books. It had always been something that had "been there" throughout life and I ahd always thought about reading them, but frankly, couldnt be bothered (much like LotR, which I also read for the same reasons) but once the film's release was announced, I decided to read at least the first book before seeing it. That way, Id get the "right" (although, the Radio and TV series' were different in parts to the books anyway...) story.

I love how they are written and all the little bits that are just thrown in at not-so-random places (they have some relevance). I think its because that is how I tend to talk. I say something, then have to explain something else so you know what the first thing was, then I go back again. Adams does that in these books, so it was very easy for me to come to grips with.

I reccommend these to anyone who enjoys random, but well thought out silliness. They'll make you laugh and can be read over and over again.

And who knows, you might even understand more about Life, the Universe and Everything *shifts eyes and hides at the end of book 5*

Enjoy!!

Avoid Number 4, 19 May 2005
The fact that I tore through all five books would suggest it was a good read. I would definitely recommend the orginal trilogy.

I first read all five books when I was a young teenager (at least 10 years ago), and have fond, but hazy memories of them. After seeing the film, I decided to reread them. Although I still loved retreading the journey of Arthur, Ford Prefect, Marvin, Trillian and Zaphod, I became annoyed with Adams' style. He flits about for no apparent reason, throwing up repetitive stories about alien civilisitations (usually based round a familiar Earth household object). He also leaves stories in the air, with no explanation. What happended to Arthur with that girl he met on ancient Earth? What was the whole point of 'So Long...Thanks for All the Fish'? And so many other points, that you are left feeling frustrated.

Despite all this, Douglas Adams' ideas, and views of what the universe may be like, draws you in. The simple idea of the book itself has proved it has enormous mileage. True they could have been written a bit better, but I think most people forgive that. The first sequel (fourth) adds absolutely nothing to the story (rather like a Matrix sequel), but 'Most Harmless' is quite an entertaining diversion. You still come out a bit confused, but it's an ending, at least.

filled with meaning, 30 Jun 2007
Listening to the audio CD's has an extra dimension to the book. You do get time to catch your breath. And my CD player is in the car. Somehow I survived. I would say that one great advantage to CD's is the ability to hear how the names are pronounced and you get inflections that intended or not help understand where they are going before they get there. An other advantage is that CD's like acid free paper should outlast the reader.

How many times have you asked a simple question and go the answer as "42." Yep, you are a victim to this book. Many of the clichés and truisms that rival Shakespeare are creeping into our vocabulary. And attitudes - "It has been on file."

If you are the one person that somehow got through life with out reading this series or at least seeing this on TV, then you are in for a treat. Somehow this story is earmarked as sci-fi and I guess it can be in a sense and it has all the elements necessary; it delivers a powerful message to the local Zoning Board.

I will not go though the story, as that is why you are reading the book. You need to sit down for the next sentence.

This book has changed my life.


Monty Python in space, brilliant!, 20 Jul 2001
Douglas Adams's Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy is truly entertaining from the first line. Although at first sight Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy appears just another spoof of the traditional sci-fi genre, in fact it manages to bring it's own original ideas while still affectionately poking fun at the concept in ways which are in turn both subtle and obvious.

Without a doubt most the comedic value of this story comes directly from the characters which inhabit it, not least the hapless Authur Dent who will have you laughing out loud as he struggles to come to terms with the hilarious revelations continually confront him throughout his turbulent journey.

The story is given an added dimension by Adams's fitting character voices.

Buy it. Buy it now

Great listening, makes the miles fly, 11 Apr 2001
I'm a fan of Hitch Hiker's, and have read all the books over and over. So whats the point of having it on Audio? Well its great to hear the author read it, adding his own speech emphasis, after all he wrote it! Also if you do a lot of driving having this cassette in makes the miles fly by. One star deducted - its not on CD !!! All in all a great Listen! - buy it now !

This Is The Best, It Sets The Standard For The Rest!!, 30 Jun 2001
This is